The Prince of Sloth [DxD]

A certain Castle – somewhere in the Belphegor Domain, Underworld

"Huh? Seir-kun, are you already learning magic?" came the surprised voice of the doll-sized projection of a grey-haired woman standing atop his desk. She tilted her head curiously and asked, "And you're actually able to learn magic at such a young age?"

"Of course," Seir replied casually, a confident grin spreading across his face. "Otherwise, how else could I have contacted you using a Magic Circle?"

"Hmm… that's true," the woman agreed with a thoughtful nod.

"I've been learning magic under Lord Rudiger Rosenkreuzer for the past six months, and I've made great progress," Seir added proudly.

"It seems boyfriend-kun is not only a genius but also very hard-working. To be able to use communication magic already… I couldn't do something like this in just six months, and I started learning magic when I was twice your age. You must have put in a lot of effort, right?" she said, smiling warmly.

"Haha… I'm pretty awesome, aren't I?" Seir said with a wide grin as if saying 'bring in the praises,' and 'Praise me more-praise me more.'

"That is true… you are indeed amazing," the woman couldn't help but agree with a soft smile.

Smiling satisfyingly, Seir said, "So, anyway…" He changed the topic, inquiring about something that Roygun had told him about, "I heard from my elder sister that you were asking about me at one of the parties. What's up with that?"

"Oh, you know... I just wanted to meet and talk with my boyfriend," she replied, her voice tinged with faux sadness. "Ever since he became my boyfriend, he hasn't tried to contact me or come to any parties where we could meet and have fun. I was starting to feel a bit neglected, wondering if I did something wrong to make him completely ignore me. I even started to wonder if he remembers that he still has a girlfriend..."

"Oh... I guess that's true," Seir said, apologizing. "I got so caught up in learning magic these past six months that I almost forgot about everything. I'm sorry."

"Well, it seems someone knows how to reflect on their mistakes," the woman giggled, then added, "Since you've apologized, I suppose I can forgive you, boyfriend-kun."

"Thank you," Seir said with a smile. "And look on the bright side... now that I have mastered communication magic, I can contact you whenever I want, and you too can contact me whenever you want…"

"Hmm... that's indeed the case, I suppose that's a plus," the woman nodded.

"Hehe! I plan to bug you every other day, so be prepared," Seir said, warning her with a grin.

"Ara? Is that so?" the woman replied with a playful smile. "Well, then... I guess I'm looking forward to these daily conversations with my boyfriend-kun." She added apologetically, "Though, I might not always be able to reply right away since I have to manage my duties as the overseer of Kuoh Town. Sometimes, those things can get a little hectic..."

"That's fine," Seir nodded, unfazed. "Just reply whenever you can."

"Hmm... It seems boyfriend-kun is also a very understanding person," she said with a playful smile.

"Isn't that right? You won't find a more talented, handsome, reflective, and understanding boyfriend than me... aren't you lucky?" Seir asked narcissistically.

"It seems that, on top of having many good qualities, boyfriend-kun is also a narcissist who likes to praise himself," she added with a teasing grin.

"Well... what can I say? I'm just that good," Seir sighed dramatically, causing the woman to laugh in amusement.

As they were talking, a member of the woman's peerage approached her and whispered something. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly nodded before turning her attention back to the Magic Circle and said, "Etto... Seir-kun, something urgent has come up. It's about a Stray Devil... I need to go and handle it."

"Alright... In that case, I'll contact you later," Seir nodded.

"Yes~ I'll be waiting," the woman replied, waving her hand. "Bye-bye~, Seir-kun!"

"Bye, Cleria," Seir responded before dispersing the communication magic circle.

That's right, the person Seir was speaking to was none other than Cleria Belial, his supposed 'girlfriend' from the esteemed House of Belial.

As for why he was speaking with her, the reasons were layered, of course, it had a lot to do with not having spoken to her for more than six months, and since she had asked Roygun about him at one of the parties, they met… so Seir decided to contact her and catch up with her since she is his girlfriend, but the deeper reason was something else: Seir wanted to keep an eye on her to ensure he wasn't blindsided by the sudden news of her assassination.

Cleria Belial's assassination was a very complex event in the canon, and it triggered a cascade of major events around the world, including the Underworld. The Priests abandoned the Kuoh Town Church, leading to Fallen Angels taking over the town's church later, Rias Gremory being appointed its new overseer because the Baels needed a talented Devil to manage the town in order to cover up things around Cleria Belial's death and what better option than the younger sister of Lucifer himself, now Rias Gremory becoming the overseer of Kuoh Town led to a lot more events.

On top of all that, Diehauser Belial, Cleria's cousin and the Champion of the Rating Games' betrayal to the Underworld and temporary alignment with the Kaos Brigade is also connected with that tragedy as he wishes to uncover the truth behind her death.

These are just some of the major events, and there existed a lot more things that happened as a consequence of Cleria Belial's assassination.

One of the most consequential events stemming from this tragedy was Roygun Belphegor's downfall alongside a few other top-tier rating game players. After aligning with the Qlippoth Faction of the Khaos Brigade, Diehauser Belial exposed the existence of the illicit [King] piece—a taboo tool used to artificially enhance power up to a hundred times—leading to the entire Underworld becoming aware of its existence and corruption in the Rating Games, which further led to a lot of things that Seir couldn't bother with, but one of those things is something he is deeply concerned about, and that is Roygun's downfall.

Stripped of her titles and positions, she was demoted from an Ultimate-Class Devil to a mere High-Class Devil, left without a place to call home or a purpose to pursue, as she was permanently banned from ever participating in the Rating Games as a [King] and had nothing else left to do either.

'I am never going to let her fall like that...' Seir's resolve was unshakable.

Allowing such a fate to befall his elder sister was out of the question—not just for her sake, but for his own and the main family's as well.

If Roygun were to be cast aside and disgraced, the repercussions would ripple through their entire household. His parents' reputation and status would be tarnished, and it wouldn't be surprising if the main family lost its standing entirely within the Household. Political adversaries within the Belphegor household's side branches—those who had long sought to usurp the position of Head—would seize the opportunity without hesitation.

Seir couldn't afford to let that happen. He had to ensure Roygun's place and protect the family from falling prey to internal power struggles.

More importantly, Seir had no intention of giving up the advantages that came with having a sister of Maou-class strength.

Having an elder sister as powerful and renowned as Roygun brought numerous benefits, especially in the politically charged environment of the Underworld. The greatest advantage was the unparalleled protection her presence offered him, not to mention exposure and access to resources normally impossible. With her status and strength serving as a shield, who dares to cause harm to him?

He, who fully understands the benefits of having such an influential elder sister, is obviously unwilling to let go of such advantages!

So, yes, he is going to prevent Roygun's Downfall for his selfish reasons.

But the thing is, although he had resolved to prevent Roygun's downfall, the real challenge was figuring out how to accomplish that.

The answer, however, was straightforward—address the root cause.

Roygun's downfall stemmed directly from Cleria Belial's assassination. If Cleria didn't die, the chain of events that followed—events that led to Roygun's disgrace—would likely never occur.

To protect his elder sister and, by extension, himself, Seir realized that he had to prevent Cleria's assassination at all costs. This meant finding a way to safeguard her.

Even beyond Roygun's situation… Seir didn't want Cleria Belial to die.

'How could I let such a beautiful woman meet such a tragic end? Rather than dying like that… wouldn't it be better for you to become mine?'

Naturally, he had his selfish motivations surrounding this event.

Since Seir had taken a liking to Cleria, he felt even more determined to ensure her survival. He had all the more selfish reasons to prevent her assassination.

The main problem, however, was that he didn't know exactly when her assassination would occur. All he knew was that it happened around the time Hyōdō Issei and Shidō Irina were in elementary school—likely when they were about seven or eight years old.

'Let's see… I'm nearly two years older than Rias Gremory, which makes me about three years older than Hyōdō Issei. Right now, I'm just over four years old—about four years and five months, to be precise. That would mean Hyōdō Issei is probably around one and a half years old right now. If Cleria Belial's assassination happens when Hyōdō Issei is seven or eight, then I should have about six years to prepare, right?'

Cleria's assassination stemmed from her discovery of the existence of the [King] piece.

The Great King faction, fearing that she might reveal this secret to the Emperor—and consequently to the entire Underworld—decided to silence her permanently.

The problem, however, was that Seir had no idea how she discovered the existence of the [King] piece in the first place. All he knew was that, at some point, she learned about it. The when, how, and through whom were all mysteries to him.

'Frankly, I don't even want to uncover that mystery,' Seir thought to himself. 'All I want is to make sure she doesn't die.'

Although Seir says that he 'only' wants to save her, that isn't the full extent of his intentions regarding the Cleria Belial assassination incident.

The selfish part of him wants more—much more, something immensely valuable and worth the risks and effort. For example, the [King] piece.

'I might not necessarily use it myself,' he thought, 'and I could give it to someone else to use in my place. But I still want to keep a [King] piece, just in case things don't go as planned and I don't reach Maou Class or higher through just training and hard work. Plus, let's not forget the incredible research value the [King] piece holds...'

Yes, that's what he's thinking.

Though incredibly dangerous, if he manages to get the [King] piece, it will be worth the risk.

As for how to save Cleria Belial, he has already considered his options.

One potential approach is to inform Diehauser Belial about the situation when the time is right.

'Though telling Diehauser Belial might be the easiest solution, it's not the most advantageous for me,' Seir mused. 'If I were to inform him, he'd end up being the one to save Cleria, not me. And that's not what I want. If I want to maximize the benefits from this entire ordeal, I'll need to come up with a better plan.'

Because, aside from the [King] piece, Seir also wants Cleria's affection, and that's something he likely won't be able to gain just by informing Diehauser of the situation.

The other option would naturally be for Seir to save Cleria himself, it would indeed help him instantly win her heart, but such a feat might not be possible for him given that he'd only be about ten or eleven years old at that time.

'The Great King Faction eliminated not only Cleria Belial, a high-class Devil but also her peerage... and they did so quietly, without giving her a chance to alert Diehauser Belial. They likely didn't involve a large number of people to avoid exposing their true motives. This means very powerful individuals could have been tasked with her assassination, and against that person, I might be powerless...'

Understanding the reality, Seir thought to himself, 'I must think of something else…'

Although nothing came to mind immediately, Seir wasn't overly concerned.

Shaking his head, he thought, 'Oh well, I still have a few years to figure it out. No need to rush—I can take my time and craft a meticulous plan to ensure everything unfolds exactly as I want.'

What he did know was that, given his position, age, personal strength, and objectives, the most reasonable approach was to stay connected with her and intervene at the critical moment.

'If I intervene at the right moment, not only will I save her life and gain her gratitude, but I'll also win her heart—and maybe even turn the situation to my advantage.'

And as for that guy from the Protestant Church, Yaegaki Masaomi?

Who cares about him? He could neither protect himself nor Cleria and ended up dying, does he still have the right to love the girl?

'Besides, he's not even in the picture right now,' Seir thought dismissively. He's probably just some teenager in training to become a Warrior in the service of a guy who is already dead with no clue about his death whatsoever and hasn't even been assigned to Kuoh Town yet.

A sly grin crept across Seir's face. 'It's not NTR if you aren't in a relationship yet. It's first come, first served, mate. Since I'm the one making the first move, it's going to be me who wins Cleria's heart in the end. And unlike you, I won't let her die like that. Not a chance.'

With that goal in mind, he resolved to stay in regular contact with Cleria so he could keep an eye on her while continuing to focus on his magic education.

Once that was clear, he turned his attention to another matter, 'I wonder how Sairaorg is doing… has he made any progress…?'

Since he hadn't paid much attention to Sairaorg after the previous exchange of letters about six months ago, he had no idea how the young Bael was faring, nor did he know whether Sairaorg was really training or not.

'Well, let's just write him another letter…' Seir decided, nodding to himself as he used telekinesis to summon a stack of parchment, along with a quill and an ink bottle, before beginning to write.

'And since I'm already writing to Sairaorg… let's send a letter to Seekvaira as well, after all, it's been quite a while since our last meeting, right?'

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Sometime later, at the Nightshade Garden, Belphegor Castle.

Arriving at the gazebo in the Nightshade Garden with Élise following behind him, Seir first greeted Malakarion and Sephie. He then turned to the Head Butler of the castle. "Belmont… please deliver these letters."

The Head Butler nodded, "Understood, young master…" accepting the three letters from Élise and noting the recipients: Sairaorg Bael, Misla Bael, and Seekvaira Agares.

Yes, aside from writing to Sairaorg and Seekvaira, Seir had also decided to send a letter to Misla.

As for why he wrote a letter to the Great Queen?

It's simple: Sairaorg is still a child and incapable of understanding many things. Therefore, staying in contact with Misla—who clearly grasps the situation—is also crucial. It's only through her that Seir can keep track of Sairaorg's progress as well as the political situation around him, so he plans to stay in touch with her as well.

'Yes, it's solely to keep track of Sairaorg's situation… it's not because she is an unloved, beautiful, and thicc Milf in my vicinity whom I might want to court in the future… Nope, there are absolutely no ulterior motives…' thought Seir while suppressing a grin.

After Belmont left the gazebo with the three letters, Seir seated himself at the square table and joined his parents for a conversation.

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"… And that's why I'll start learning how to use [Crack] from Roygun," Seir explained as he recounted his progress in magic with Rudiger so far. Then he added, "Though there's still about two months left before that…"

Malakarion nodded. "I see…" he said thoughtfully but was also a little saddened, "But if I am being honest, I was planning to teach you how to use [Crack] myself."

"Eh? You wanted to teach me [Crack], Father?" Seir asked, taken aback.

"Well, I was the one who taught Roygun how to use the Belphegor trait," Malakarion explained. "And since Roygun is often busy with her duties as Head of the House, as well as her Rating Games, I thought I'd be the one to teach you." And nodded in acceptance, "But if Roygun wants to do it herself, I guess that's fine as well…"

"Is that so?" Seir murmured.

Malakarion stroked his chin. "Still, I think it's better for Roygun to teach you [Crack] personally," he said. "Her grasp and mastery of our House's trait far exceed mine."

'That's exactly why I asked her,' Seir thought to himself. He had certainly taken Roygun's strength and expertise into account when he asked her to teach him how to use [Crack].

At that moment, Sephie spoke up. "In any case, it's good that you won't be too busy in the coming days since you need to prepare for the upcoming Extra Demon Gathering…"

Seir asked curiously, "What kind of preparations do I need to make?"

Sephie smiled. "Nothing too complicated… just a few things every High-Class Devil, especially from a noble family, should know before attending high-society gatherings."

"And what kind of things are those?" Seir questioned further.

"Well, there are quite a few things, but Etiquette and history are the two most basic yet highly important areas a noble High-Class Devil must be knowledgeable in before partaking in a high-society gathering," Sephie explained. "Since you've already learned etiquette, the next step is to study the history of Devilkind. That way, you'll know just how important—or unimportant—a particular Devil or a family is before you meet them, so you can decide how much attention they merit. Therefore, your main focus for now will be learning the history of the Devil Kind."

Sephie's response made Seir frown in doubt, "But Mother, when you say I have to learn the history of Devilkind before participating in the Extra Demon Gathering, do you mean the entire history? That seems excessive. There's only about a month left before the Gathering, and I doubt a month is enough time to learn the entire history of Devilkind…"

After all, the history of Devilkind spans thousands—if not tens of thousands—of years, involving countless key figures, numerous events, and a variety of perspectives on each event. Seir couldn't imagine studying all of that in just one month.

Sephie didn't deny Seir's doubts, "That's certainly true." She added reassuringly, "But you needn't worry. You don't have to learn everything right now. To participate in the Extra Demon Gathering, you only need to understand the Extra Demons' portion of history, along with a few important events. That's all…"

No one expects a four-and-a-half-year-old child to be well-versed in history. Therefore, Seir doesn't need to learn the entire history of Devilkind; just a basic understanding will suffice.

"I see…" Seir nodded, accepting Sephie's explanation, and further questioned, "And who would be teaching me History? Would it be you mother?"

Sephie shook her head, "I know someone more suitable for the job…" and holding her chin, she murmured lightly, "I think she wouldn't mind… it's not as though Sheila has anything better to do, right?"

'I guess it'll be history hours with Madam Sheila for the next month, huh?'

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Trivia

Name: Serios Vandegor Belphegor

Age: 4.05 (Four Years and Five months)

Position: Heir to the House of Belphegor

Life Skills: Language, Etiquette

Magic Skills: Elemental Magic, Telekinesis Magic, Communication Magic

Custom Magic: Memorization

Servant: Élise (Personal Maid)

Immediate Objective: Learning the History of Extra Demon Faction

Long Term Goal (For the next few years): Master Magic

Women on Radar: Cleria Belial, Misla Bael

Favorite Quote: Beautiful Milfs are a broken man's true love.

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Author's Note:

That's it for this Chapter. Enjoy reading it.

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